Have you heard it? Jing'an Suzhou Creek Bay is the place to be for young Shanghainese right now!

During the recent National Day holiday, the numbers at Jing'an Suzhou Creek Bay soared to unprecedented heights: Jing'an Joy City, known for its vibrant ACG (anime, comics, and games) culture, attracted over 800,000 visitors, with sales reaching RMB 92.1 million; the City's popular "Night Bites Rooftop" saw sales exceed RMB 80 million, up 26.4% year-on-year, and a single-day peak footfall of 114,000. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Suhe MixC World also impressed, surpassing 100,000 visitors on the holiday's first day. Adding to the buzz, the "Jing'an Light Season", spanning the entire business district, drew nearly 1.88 million visitors, illuminating the night along the Suzhou Creek.

From "snap-and-share" moments and exhibition visits to that laid-back vibe and local buzz—keywords associated with this area are flooding social media feeds. The Jing'an Suzhou Creek Bay, a 6.3-kilometer "golden waterfront", seems to intuitively understand young people, possessing a magnetic pull that continually draws them in.

So, what sets it apart? What unique appeal makes even the most discerning young people willingly flock here?

There's always something new on every visit 

In Jing'an Suzhou Creek Bay, shopping is merely an afterthought. What truly captivates visitors is the endless stream of fresh experiences. These commercial spaces have long transcended their role as mere parts of shopping malls, evolving into a "cradle of youth culture" that offers endless discoveries from dawn till dusk.

The Jing'an Joy City has solidified its status as a youth cultural engine that masterfully sustains buzz. Its October "Super-Love Market" event featured over 15 major IPs—from My Little Pony and Light and Night to Genshin Impact and Pokémon —hosting a constant rotation of exhibitions and pop-ups, transforming the shopping mall into an immersive amusement park. This strategy of frequent, deep IP collaborations has kept young visitors returning.

The Shanghai Suhe MixC World offers another example of "scene refresh." The newly upgraded 2025 "Go Out Suhewan" festival cleverly blended themed events like the SNOOPY 75th Anniversary Pop-up and the "Let's Ferment!" Bread Culture Festival, creating a novel fusion of flavors, music, and art. Each visit brings unexpected encounters between historic architecture and modern shopping spaces, where shopping, exhibitions, leisure, and entertainment seamlessly connect.

As night falls, the "Night Bites Rooftop" at Joy City keeps the energy high. The triple-threat combo of the Ferris wheel, diverse foods, and live music has long cemented its status as a flagship nightlife destination. Here, the evening isn't an epilogue to the day, but a brand-new social hub that continually fuels the young crowd's thirst for novelty.

Infused with art: Weaving aesthetics into daily life

If commerce satisfies the shopping desires of the young, then the rich blend of art and fashion at Suzhou Creek Bay is what nourishes their spirit and aesthetic sensibilities.

Let's talk density: According to JLL data, Jing'an Suzhou Creek Bay boasts up to 40 exhibition and display spaces per square kilometer—a density nearly on par with London's West End and Midtown Manhattan!

With so many art spaces as a foundation, fresh content naturally flows nonstop. The "Artistic Suzhou Creek" sees new happenings almost every week, from special art exhibitions to regional first stores or brand pop-ups, which have become the norm. Especially notable is the Fotografiska art museum by the riverside, which has long been a must-visit site for young art enthusiasts. The surrounding ecosystem it has fostered—including art museums, art galleries, and cultural and creative cafés—has transformed visiting exhibitions from a solitary activity into a stylish lifestyle experience.

Art fuels fashion. Jing'an Suzhou Creek Bay has attracted the settlement of fashion powerhouses like Tapestry and Longchamp, and even the 2026 Shanghai Fashion Week S/S hosted several of its key runway shows here. Almost overnight, fashion influencers and trendsetters have gathered, turning the entire area into a flowing fashion feast.

Here, art is approachable, not pretentious; fashion is within reach, not distant. Aesthetic experiences have become a tangible part of everyday life for young people. This rich concentration of art directly resonates with the youth's life philosophy of "rejecting the mundane", offering them a deep sense of belonging and inspiration within an immersive aesthetic environment.

Startup chill: Young creators build dreams by the river

At Jing'an Suzhou Creek Bay, you will find no cold office blocks. Instead, a different kind of entrepreneurial ecosystem thrives here—one that is warm, story-filled, and community-oriented. It is increasingly attracting young people who choose to anchor both their careers and lives along this poetic waterfront.

In 2024, the nationally renowned Kayou Animation chose to settle in the Suzhou Creek Bay, becoming a signature node in the regional innovation ecosystem. For the Kayou team, this place is more than just an office—it is a poetic and inspiring living environment. Employees can stroll along the Suzhou Creek to reflect, enjoy homey meals at the community canteen, and draw creative inspiration from the surrounding historic buildings. "We advocate openness and inclusivity and encourage innovative thinking," said a relevant head of Kayou Animation. "In this garden-like space with curated vistas, creativity flows naturally."

By the end of 2024, the Suzhou Creek Bay had attracted more than 11,000 operating enterprises, including 835 quality foreign ventures, 320 service enterprises above designated size, and 155 high-growth enterprises. From the establishment of the country's first national-level human resources industrial park in 2010, which drew the settlement of think tanks such as Deloitte and Roland Berger, to the advertising and creative cultural boom brought by the WPP Group in 2015, and then to the rise of 871 technology service enterprises now—a complete innovation industrial chain has clearly taken shape.

Here, work is more than a job—it is a way of life, creating value alongside like-minded people, and a form of identity embedded in the city's pulse. Along this storied waterfront, young creators are writing a story of their own time.

Vibrant and ever-evolving—the story continues...

From the constant refresh of shopping scenes and the daily infusion of fashion and art, to the fertile ground for innovation, the Jing'an Suzhou Creek Bay seems to innately understand the youth: They crave both individual expression and a sense of community. All the elements of the youth lifestyle—work, leisure, art, and life—are intricately interwoven at unprecedented density and quality, brewing an energetic ecosystem of youth culture.

Here, young people are not mere spectators of the city—they are the authors of its stories.

Here, they find the fulfillment of ideal careers, the support to innovate, the joy of a vibrant life, and the recognition of like-minded peers.

Here, with passion in their hearts, they draw nourishment, showcase their talents, and plant their dreams in the real-world ground—watching them grow freely.

Youth entrepreneurs, artists, designers, trendsetters, and research pioneers—all playing diverse roles with vibrant lifestyles and relentless innovation—are writing the new chapters of the Suzhou Creek Bay.

Jing'an Suzhou Creek Bay, this waterfront, where time and imagination converge, pulses with the strong, unceasing beat of youth.